Advertisement It was late last year. John and wife, Dolores, were watching TV when a story about a Prairie du Chien, Wis., educator about to donate a kidney to a student caught their attention. “I could do that,” said John. Dolores replied, “That would be nice.” It was something John had heard more than once during the Hinitts’ 47-year marriage when John’s ideas seemed a bit off-beat, perhaps a little weird.
But was this idea so weird? The well-diversified John is a fur processor and had lots of time to think about becoming a kidney donor as he worked 8-to-10-hour days in his processing shed. “There was nothing but dead animals around me. My mind had a tendency to wander.”
John couldn’t let loose the idea of becoming a kidney donor. He wanted to give back for all the good things in his life. From a broken family, he had his share of orphanages. At age 18 he was serving in the military, and asked a chaplain to find his mother. She was found, “turned out she was just a lady,” but John’s thankful to have found her.
John continued to count his blessings. “I’m lucky to be married to a wonderful woman I don’t deserve.” He’s thankful for their two children, Jane and Mark, and their four grandchildren. “And I have had a wonderful career with the Tribune since 1959. I began as a photoengraver when I didn’t know what a newspaper was.” The Tribune paid for training for John to become an engraver, and later to become a pressman. As technologies advanced, he was trained to become an offset pressman. “And at the Tribune, I’ve had a lot of associates who taught me about nature — to trap, to hunt for berries, etc.” John retired in 1997, at about the time that he survived prostate cancer. A year later, the Tribune asked him back as a fill-in pressman. He’s at the newspaper two days a week and cherishes the opportunity.
All of this, compounded with John’s reasoning that “you only need one kidney,” was enough for Dolores to tell John to go ahead with his plans to become a donor.
John contacted Kathy Schappe, clinical transplant consultant with the University of Wisconsin Hospital and Clinics, Madison, and explained his mission to become a donor. After receiving his medical records from La Crosse, the door seemed closed. Persistent, John wanted to continue with the understanding that because of his history of cancer he couldn’t donate to a male, but could donate to a woman “because I don’t have estrogen.” His mission then became to help a young mother in need of a kidney so she and her family could enjoy their lives more fully. However, he wouldn’t choose who received his kidney; it would go to the person at the top of the donor recipient list.
At a department meeting, Kathy brought John’s mission to the staff, and he got his chance. Meeting with doctors, Kathy asked John to tell them “what I do.”
He impressed them with his yearly schedule: From November to March, he processes fur, and taps trees to make maple syrup; in April, fishes for trout and walleye; in May, hunts for mushrooms; in June, more fishing; in July, traps turtles; in August, looks for wild berries; in September, digs for ginseng; and by late October, makes plans for the upcoming trapping season. All this, and working at the Tribune, too?
An elated John was approved for testing to become a donor. That was in June. Early this month Kathy called to say she was the “bearer of bad news.” John’s blood, heart, lungs and cholesterol tests were just fine. He was in very good health. So where was the bad news?
Kathy explained that as a person ages, plaque builds up in arteries. John had a small build-up in his arteries leading to his kidneys. “We can’t do surgery because while it probably isn’t a risk to you now, we are unable to tell what this will do to you 20 years down the road with only one kidney.”
John was asked: “Has there been smoking in the family?” John’s answer: “Yes, but I quit 10 years ago.” While smoking perhaps wasn’t the main culprit, it has contributed to the plaque buildup, he was told.
John was saddened. “Because of the abuse of my body with cigarettes, I can’t help out a young woman somewhere. I’m letting someone down because I smoked for 50 years.”
Dolores received the news with mixed emotions. “I can’t say I wasn’t relieved when we got the call from Kathy, but I feel bad for John. I am pleased that they put John’s health first.”
Contact Larry Olson at larry.olson@lacrossetribune.com or address mail to him at La Crosse Tribune, 401 N. Third St., La Crosse, WI 54601.
